The Australian Doctors Reform Society has joined the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in demanding the Morrison government immediately reverse it cuts to Medicare rebates for GPs interpreting vital heart tests.
” As a GP I know the Morrison governments cuts to Medicare rebates for GPs interpreting ECG heart tests will result in some GPs stopping undertaking ECGs and instead referring patients to specialists or hospitals for ECGs which will result in unnecessary costs and delays which could even result in some patients dying as a result of delyed ECGs”said Dr Robert Marr GP and Secretary General Australian Doctors Reform Society
The RACGP President Dr Karen Price said the decision was a “slap in the face”to primary care providers who had lost out on the Medicare rebate to interpret the recording of the hearts electrical activity.
“The Morrison governments cuts to the Medicare rebate for ECG interpretation is a false economy that will result in higher health costs due to sick patients being sent to specialists or hospitals for ecg tests that will cost much more than GPs and will put lives at risk due to delays in undertaking ecgs”said Dr Con Costa Vice President Australian Doctors Rreform Society.
“The ECG Medicare rebate cut is one of many Medicare rebate cuts made over the last 9 years by the Morrison government that have resulted in higher health costs for many Australians and we call on which ever party wins government on may 21st to reverse these Medicare rebate cuts’said Dr Robert Marr
